 Family Theatre presents Harold Perry and John Lund. From Hollywood, the mutual network in cooperation with Family Theatre presents Mr. Harrison and the Lady Racketeer starring Harold Perry. And now here is your host, John Lund. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, to pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Mr. Harrison and the Lady Racketeer starring Harold Perry as Bill. Billy Boy, didn't you hear the whistle? Hi, Phil. You were going my way tonight. Why, you need a lift? Yeah, afraid so. Cars still in the shop. You going my way? Sure thing. You don't mind waiting a few minutes? Tucker again? Yeah, that's right. Oh, brother. What now? That's CO2 thing, I suppose? Who knows? Billy Boy, that's a good idea. If Tucker puts a Kyvush on that, he's dumb and we think he is, which is pretty dumb. Well, no use Kelly-sledding. Harrison! Yes, sir? Come on in here. Well, here goes nothing. Good luck. Thanks. Yes, sir? Mr. Harrison, you have a wife and child, haven't you? Yes, sir. Then you should have some awareness of the meaning of responsibilities, isn't that right? Yes, that's right. They expect certain things from you, financial support, I imagine? Naturally. In order to provide that support, then it is necessary for you to keep working, isn't it? Yes, sir. Now, you'll forgive me for asking all these questions, but I wanted to get a few things straight in my mind, because I seem to be under a mistaken impression. Perhaps you could correct it for me? I can try, Mr. Tucker. Fine. I'm sure United Automatic Fire Control will appreciate it. Now first, I am the foreman of what department? Plans and drafting. That's what I thought. And second, you work in what department? Plans and drafting. That's what I thought. You find enough to keep you busy, do you? Oh, yes, sir. Then what do you mean by submitting this idiotic plan for a CO2 primer on an automatic sprinter? Mr. Tucker, in certain cases, water damage is just as costly. Mr. Harrison, have you been with this company 20 years? No, sir. Nine. Nine years next month. Well, until you've been here a while longer, I don't think there is much you can tell me about water damage and fire damage. But, sir, I've checked it through, and that CO2 primer would effectively lower the ignition points. That will be about enough, Harrison. I suppose you are perfectly aware of this, but I regard you as something of a bottleneck in my department. Bottleneck? Bottleneck. Just bordering on being dead wood, and you know what happens to dead wood. Yes, sir. Furthermore, you are slow in your work, and now I know why. You've been spending the company's time on harebrained schemes like this. Mr. Tucker, I did that in my off hours at home. Well, you know what I think of this idea? I'll show you. Oop. There. What do you think of that? Does that give you a rough idea of how I feel about the latest of your ideas? Well, does it? Yes, sir. But what? Nothing. Nothing. Now, in the event you should forget again, Harrison, I am the foreman of plans and drafting not new inventions, and you work in my department. Is that understood? Yes, sir. I am a charitable man, Mr. Harrison, or you would be looking for another job. Your work is second rate, and both of us know you can be replaced with no discomfort to unite at automatic fire control. Don't we? Yes, Mr. Tucker. Don't push my charity any more, Mr. Harrison. Just do your job. Do you understand? I understand. That will be all, Mr. Harrison. Yes, sir. Good night. Oh, Mr. Harrison. Yes, Mr. Tucker. As long as you seem to find time for extra work, I shall expect those fall book plans by Friday. Friday? But they don't have to go to Mr. Morgan till the following Wednesday. Friday, Harrison. Yes, sir. Oh, I'd like to punch that guy's nose for him. That super- You threw the grinder, didn't you? Hmm? Oh, Phil, I forgot you were waiting for me. You look like you've been shot at. I feel like it. It really gives you a hard time, doesn't it? This time, he was pretty easy. Only a couple of minutes. Sometimes he works me over for five or six. Someday, Phil, someday he's going to go too far. Yeah, and you'll pop him one and have to hunt yourself up a new job. Why me? Why is it always my hidey-nails-in-the-wall? It's not just you. Once in a while, somebody else gets it, you know? Not as often. Yeah, maybe not. And I think I know why. What? Look at it this way. What's Tucker got? What do you mean, what's he got? So he's the foreman. But aside from that, he hasn't got a thing. He hasn't got a wife and kid like you have. So that makes him mad? What am I supposed to do? Toss my wife and daughter away just to get in his good graces? Look, I'm not defending them. I'm just telling you what I think. It's a small, envious man, and like most small, envious people, he dislikes people who have something he hasn't. And there's something else. Heh. I must sound like the office psychologist. Go on, Phil. You got something else he hasn't gotten. That's what he's really afraid of. What's that? Imagination. Imagination? That's right. Automatic sprinkling systems built in fire-controlling devices. These are pretty imaginative things. They're great. But there's room for improvement. There's room for improvement in everything? Right. I'm not an early boy, but fire-controlling devices like ours are only a few decades old. So the improvements come faster, and the guys who do the improving are the ones who move ahead the fastest. Are you trying to say that Tucker's afraid I'll cop his job? That's about it. Huh. That's a laugh. Is it? Well, no. What could I do this? You could handle it better, and except for one thing, you'd probably get it. What one thing? You're afraid of them. Yeah, you're right about that. Well, why? Why? I'm a very specialized draftsman. There aren't many openings for my specialty fill. I can't afford not to be afraid of Tucker. Well, maybe someday, Billy Boy. Yeah, maybe someday. But I'll tell you one thing. If Tucker thinks I'm going to do any work at home, he's crazy. I won't even think about this job at home from this moment on. Not for the next few days, you won't, but you won't have time. You're aunt. What aunt? Well, didn't I tell you your wife called before you got back from lunch? Sure, I didn't tell you. My wife called? Well, it's the first I've heard. Yeah, I must be getting old. So you're getting old. Now, what's this about an aunt? Your wife said your aunt had come to spend a few days. She sounded kind of excited about it. Well, I can imagine. I can't see. I could have forgotten it. Anything else? No, it's about Alson talk about her arriving in a Ritzy car, dripping with furs on the long green. She was excited, all right. Did she say what this aunt's name is? Velma or something like that. Well, you ought to know how many rich aunts you got. Phil, I haven't got any aunts at all. Well, I'm really not surprised you haven't heard of me. Oh, that really is a lovely dress, my dear. Thank you. Looks like it's right out of one of those exclusive shops. Oh, no, this old thing. Well, it doesn't look the least bit old. Ladies, ladies, please, I still haven't... Here's the coffee. Oh, Rita, darling, will you move the flowers off the coffee table so I can put this tray down? Sure, thanks. Smells good. Nothing like a good cup of coffee to settle a meal. Tamps down the food, you might say. Please, everybody, sit down. I've got to get this thing straight. All through dinner, we've talked about dresses, the Alaskan salmon canries, my mother and father's courtship. In fact, everything except you, Mrs. Jorgensen. Call me Aunt Thelma. That's what I want to talk about. But Bill and Thelma and I went through all that this afternoon. Sure we did about the scandal. Rita. I'm sorry. You all went through it, but I didn't. Mrs. Jorgensen, since you're supposed to be my aunt. Supposed to be? Heaven, don't you think I would have heard about it if I had an aunt? You couldn't because of the scandal, Daddy. Rita, if it's all the same with you, I'd just as soon hear the story from Mrs. ... from your aunt. And I use the word, advisedly. I'm sure you understand, Mrs. Jorgensen. More than you know, Billy, more than you know, and I'll be happy to tell you anything you want. Bill, have to roll. He's right, Helen. You married yourself a smart man, one of the brightest pennies ever turned up in the family. And he got that way asking questions, right? Right. Mrs. Jorgensen, why haven't I ever heard of you? Well, it's a long story, but I'll give it to you, short version. We'll have plenty of time to go over it in the next few days. You see, I'm the black sheep of the family, the skeleton in the family closet. Go on. Shortly after your parents, God rest their souls, were married, I don't suppose you remember your paternal grandfather. I heard he was a hard man, but I can't say that I remember him. A very hard man, good enough in his way, but stiff and stubborn. Well, as I was saying, shortly after your folk were married, I chance to meet Mr. Jorgensen. Boy, wait till you hear about him. He was a gambler. Please, my dear. A good man. A little mixed up when I met him, but a good man. And they fell madly in love, didn't you, Anthem? Oh, we did. Oh, your grandfather raised a terrible ruckus, told me he'd disinherit me rather than have a professional gambler in the family. But they were married anyhow, and they'd probably never... Aunt Thelma tell it, darling. That's right. We were married. Your grandfather, I mean your grandfather, took it pretty hard. He did disinherit me, and he vowed that never again would my name be mentioned by any member of the family. Just because you married a gambler? No, he was a hard man, your grandfather. He must have been. Well, Mr. Jorgensen and I moved to Alaska, where in the course of a friendly game one evening, Mr. Jorgensen chanced to get himself shot through the hand while dealing some cars. Oh. Naturally, that ended our gambling days, and we were forced to go into another kind of business. But from appearances you did quite well. Well, up with one thing and another, we did manage to put a little buy. Tell him how much, Aunt Thelma. My dear, you don't ask questions like that. Oh, it's all right. I don't mind. Oh? Well, then how much did you put by? Last accounting, I believe it was around 23 million bucks. 23 million? Oh, but money won't buy everything. And since Mr. Jorgensen passed away, I've had a yen to seize some of my own kin. Spend a little time with you, and of course I'll pay my own way. Oh, no, you won't. You're our guest. We won't hear of it, will we, Bill? 23 million dollars. I wonder if I might use your phone. Sure. But of course, it's in the den. Oh, Rita, darling, show your Aunt Thelma to the telephone. Bill and I are going to reheat this coffee. Right this way, Aunt Thelma. Are you going to call Alaska? Oh, my no. Just a business acquaintance here in town. Here's the phone, and the phone books are under the table. Thank you, dear. You want me to dial it for you? Oh, that's all right. I can do it. Aunt Thelma? Yeah? You'll have to pardon Daddy. He's not usually like that. I think he's having trouble at the office. I think that's what it is. Oh, that's all right, dear. If you need anything, just call. Thank you. Oh, Rita? Yes? Is there an extension phone? No, that's the only one. Oh, thank you. Well, you'll close the door like a good girl, won't you? Yes. Hello? Oh, hello, Will. Thelma. I'm in. No, nobody suspects a thing. Well, my nephew isn't quite sure. Oh, but then I think he's just been seeing too much of Rackett's squad. That about the first? Sure, I'll take him back to the store tomorrow. I'll just tell the family. I'm putting them in storage. Now, you know what you're supposed to mail to the house each week. That's right. Four or five copies of Wall Street Journal, Shippers Report, and at least two of those envelopes with the important-looking letterhead. How's that? No, no. Don't worry about running out. It shouldn't take more than a month. Sure, it's a gamble, but I think it'll play off. Remember, I've been figuring the angles on this deal for 12 long years. And I've studied this family till I know it better than mine. They'll be eating out of a hand in two weeks. Don't worry about a thing, though. I'll have this guy paying for the rest of his life. At last, I found the foolproof racket. Yeah, honey, I'm home. Hello, Aunt Thelma. How do you like these, honey? Nice. What are they? They're going to be new drapes. I was downtown, saw the material in the window and we've been sewing up a storm all afternoon. Oh, is that the mail you have in your hand? Oh, yeah, all for you, Aunt Thelma. Anything that looks important? Well, let's see, Wall Street Journal, Alaskan Tidal & Trust Company, and the Merchants Bank of Greater Manhattan. Looks like it might be a check. Just put it on the side table, will you? What? Aren't you even going... There's a phone. Oh, Rita will get it for you. Ma'am, Tucker's giving me a hard time again. Wait a minute. I'll go see. Dad, Guesser's on the phone. Who? Oh, no, not at home, too. Speak up to him, Bill. Sure, I will. Well? Yes, sir? Tomorrow morning. But Mr. Tucker, that would mean... Yes, of course I do. I'll try, but I don't even know if it's possible, sir. All right. All right. Yes, goodbye. Not good, huh? Oh, didn't see you there, Thelma. I followed you in to find out what was going on. Well, that's Frank. Tucker gave you a time of it? Yeah, gave me an impossible project to finish by tomorrow morning. Sit down, Bill. I want to talk to you. Mind if I close this door? Be my guest. Tell me why I don't stand up to Tucker. Nuts. I know why you don't stand up to him. You think you'll lose your job. Not exactly correct. I know I'd lose my job. He's only a foreman, isn't he? He didn't hire. No. Wilbur Morgan hired me. And Wilbur Morgan's number one top guy. You know, once in a while you use very strange terminology. Am I right? Yeah, you're right. But what if he is? Wouldn't he have to do the firing? I don't think it would work quite that way. Listen, Bill, since I've been here two weeks today, I've had a chance to read the articles you've done on that, uh, trade paper. What do you call it? Pacific Fireman, that's it. I've looked over the plans you've drawn up for fire control apparatus. You mean you've been through my desk? Well, you don't make 23 million without keeping your eyes open. Yes, that may be true, but still I... Can it, will you? If Tucker tries to fire you, you can demand to take it to Morgan. Storm his office if you have to. Yeah, that would do it for sure. Well, after seeing what you can do, I believe you could hold your own against anybody. I've read a little bit about Morgan, too. And from what I've read, he's a reasonable man. Yes, to a point, I suppose, but if I burst into his office... You wouldn't lose a thing. And if you take those plans with you, I'll bet you gain a whole lot. Maybe even your own department. Oh, now I know you're out of your head. They're good plans. And it would take a new department to develop them. That's true enough. Why don't you give it a try? Helen and Rita, that's why I don't give it a try. It all comes back to this, though. I can't afford even risk getting fired. Oh, I thought you'd say that. And I figured that angle, too. Now, how much would you say that company's worth? Worth? Oh, four or five million dollars, I suppose. Good business? A fine business. Good enough for me. If you're fired, I'll buy You what? Well, when you've got 23 million, four or five isn't much of a gamble. Besides, it sounds like it might be fun. Oh, brother, I gotta think this one over. Why? The way it looks to me, you don't stand to lose a thing. I'll do it. Yes, sir? I'll do it. Good boy. And you know something? I think I'm going to enjoy this. Hey, Billy Boy, wait for me. Phil, you're late for work. Man, I might say the same about you. Yeah, but I mean to be. You mean to be? You haven't seen anything yet. Hey, I got a couple of extra excuses if you want one. I don't. Well, I wish you luck. You want to see some fireworks? Don't get too far away. Fireworks? What are you talking about? Mr. Harrison, you are late. Mr. Tucker, what are you going to do about it? Hey, Bill, what's the matter with you? What did you say? I said what are you going to do about it? That work I gave you last night I didn't get around to it. You didn't get... You didn't get around to it. Mr. Harrison, I should like to get a few things straight in my mind. Oh, fine. I'll help you. It's about time somebody helped you straighten out that goat's nest you call a mind. Harrison, you better get to your desk before I lose my temper. Get to my desk? Did you say get to my desk? I thought you always wanted an excuse to fire me. Well, I'm giving it to you. You know why? Because I don't care whether I lose my job or not, and something else. I've been waiting for years to tell you what I think of you and your methods. That will be enough. I will accept your resignation. I didn't offer it. Oh, well... Everybody in the department feels the very same way I do. We don't like your jump-or-out-you-go policy. And I intend to bring it out in the open by forcing your hand. Well, now, Harrison, there's no use getting emotional about this. Why don't you fire me? As a matter of fact, Harrison, I never had any intention of firing you. Every department head has to exercise his own kind of discipline, you know? So you keep me worrying about my job for years? Well... Mr. Tucker, you're a small man. You're emotionally, mentally, and, for my money, spiritually, poverty-stricken. Get your things, Harrison. You are through. Get out. Don't know, Mr. Tucker. Not that easily. Wilbur Morgan's the man who did the hiring. He's got to do the firing. I'll have you black-bold in the entire industry. Let's go see Mr. Morgan. All right. Have it your own way. You people! What are you all ducking at? Get back to your work at once. You are through in this business, Mr. Harrison. I suppose you know. Not yet. I'm not. Miss Bevins? I'd like to see Mr. Morgan. Is he alone? I believe he is, Mr. Tucker. But the meeting of the department heads isn't for another hour yet. This is another matter entirely. Mr. Harrison here. Yes, Mr. Harrison. I received a message for you just a couple of minutes ago. A message for me? Yes. I told the woman it was little strange and that she should leave it with the receptionist, but she insisted that I take it. Said to give it to you just before you went into Mr. Morgan's office. Let's see it. Let's see it. Dear Bill have decided not... have decided not to buy the place. You've got the ball now. What are you going to do with it? Love, Auntie. Got the ball. What am I going to do with it? Bad news, I hope. Oh, Mr. Tucker, I... Yes? Nothing. Then shall we see Mr. Morgan? Wait a minute. I'll have to announce you. I'll announce myself. Mr. Morgan, I'm Bill Harrison. I've got a few things to say to you and a few things to show you to make you a lot of money. Now, first of all... Where is she? Where is that old double crosser? Oh, Bill, you're home from the office so soon? Oh, there you are. That's right. Here I am. That was a terrible thing to do. Did you get what you wanted? Yes, but no thanks to you. How much of a raise? I'm afraid to think about it. You can't do this to me. How much? Well, how much? 25,000 a year plus royalties. 25,000 a year? Plus royalties. Oh, I'd better sit down. But when I think of how close I came... Aunt Thelma, did you have to send that note when you did? Yep, I did. Standing on my shoulders wouldn't make you any taller. A man never gets taller than when he's standing on his own two feet. That's a very pretty platitude that I own. I'd have to send you the message when I did to give you time to back out. What made you change your mind? I didn't change my mind. Here, Bill, this is for you. What's this? My bill. For what? Read it. For services rendered, I, Bill Harris, and agree to pay Mrs. Thelma Jorgensen $100 a week for the rest of her natural life. Who? Huh? What's this? What services? I helped you make a man of yourself, didn't I? But what will $100 a week mean to you while to me? Well, you forget about your raise. Yeah, but... But nothing. You asked what it would mean to me. I'll tell you. It can mean security, that's what. Security. But $23 million. I don't have $23 million. Everything I got is borrowed except the clothes I'm wearing. And you know how I paid for them? Well, I'll tell you. Working in a prison laundry. That's how. A prison laundry? That's right, a prison. And I'm not your aunt. I served for 12 long years for working confidence games. For 10 of those years, I worked on this. A foolproof racket. Foolproof. Because there's nothing illegal about it. Believe me, I don't understand. I'll lay it out for you. The world is full of bright young men, right? Right. And a good number of them will never go anywhere. Because they think they can't afford to take a chance. Right? Right. So all I have to do is pick the right man and make him think he can afford the chance. Cut myself in on the profits and I've got it made. But tell me, why me? Oh, you were an easy mark. You published a few articles, so I got to know you and a little about you. No living relatives? That made it safe. You worked for an outfit I could check up on. Why, a lot of things. But what if you'd been wrong? I took a month to look you over. You learn a lot about character and the confidence games. If I had thought it wouldn't work, I'd have pulled out and still been ahead for the boredom room. Smart? Besides, well, I got to worrying about the set up. So I wrote Morgan and asked him if he'd be interested in seeing plans like the ones you had. He wrote that he would. Oh, it was in the bag a snap. Why didn't you just tell Bill that? Oh, really, Aunt Thelma? Oh, no honey, the service is rendered. That's right. Fixing it up so he can be his own man again. Kind of fixes it so I'm earning my pay. And you'll get it too. Shoot, Bill. Oh, I knew that. Well, now that I'm financially independent and nobody's aunt, have you kids given thought to taking in a ruble? I think it can be arranged, don't you Helen? Well, in our new income bracket I don't know that it would be proper, but I'm sure we'll always have room for dear Aunt Thelma. Right. This is John London again. The other day when I was supposed to meet a movie producer friend of mine for lunch, I happened to arrive early. I went into his office right in the middle of a story conference he was having with two of his writers. They were outlining a very spiritual scene, the crucifixion of Christ on Calvary. In that conference I got quite a shock. These two writers were talking about this scene, about the way that you and I might rehash a prize fight. The language was blunt, to say the least. When the conference was over and the producer and I were having our lunch, I said to him, say, isn't that a kind of a strange way of dealing with something spiritual? Sounds to me like they were getting very familiar with it. He shook his head. I thought his answer was pretty good. He said, they've got to try to understand how the soldiers felt when they pushed Christ toward Calvary. And if they can, try to understand how Christ felt being pushed. If they're going to make the picture look real, they've got to get close to the subject matter. They've got to be familiar with it to make it good. Well, that really applies to us too, you know. We should have reverence for the things of God, but we should make them familiar too. We remember that God is infinite and all-powerful, but we must also think of Him in intimate terms as our Heavenly Father. That kind of familiarity doesn't breed contempt. It breeds love. We should always remember that God wants us to be close to Him. That He's even asked us to bring our needs and desires to Him through prayer. Ten minutes a day, devoted to prayer, will bring us closer to Him and gain for some of the blessings that could only come from an infinitely powerful God. Who, thank God, we can approach simply as our Father. And when you pray, pray together as a family for the family that prays together stays together. More things are rocked by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theater has brought you transcribed Mr. Harrison and the Lady Racketeer, starring Harold Perry. John Lund was your host. Others in our cast were Herb Vigran, Polly Bear, Marjorie Bennett, Gigi Pearson, and Gayan Kelly. The script was written and directed for Family Theater by Robert Hugh O'Sullivan, with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program. A virtual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen, and radio who give so unselfish leave their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present The Seven Sun, starring Ricardo Montalban. Bing Crosby will be your host. Family Theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for all America.